Directory cabinet



S. A. D. PUTER AND A. F. ELTSCHER.

DIRECTORY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR-3,1919.

1 ,415,703. Patented May 9, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E .LgE.

I W ATTORNEY s. A. n. PUTER AND A. FQELTSQHER. DIRECTORY CABINET- APPLICATION FILED APR-3, 1919 Patented May 9, 1922'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W ATTORNEY S. A. D. PUTER AND A. F. ELTSCHER.-

DIRECTORY CABINET.

A 2 9 1 9 v! m Ru 8 t n .w a P a m m R DI A D E K N o H A c U P. P A

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gym: FA /take BY {I fl ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN A, D. IUTER,OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, AND ALOIS F. ELTSGHIER, OF NEW",

YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CLASSL DIED AUTOMATIC DIRECTORY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DIRECTORY CABINET.

Application filed April 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S'rnrirnN A. D. Pnrnn and Anors F. E ISOHER, citizens 01:" the United States, residing at Berkeley and New York, in the counties of Alameda and New York and States of California and New York, respectively, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Directory Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to directory cabinets, and has for its object primarily to provide new and useful improvements in directory cabinets of the type disclosed in the patent to Cutler and Boyler, Number 1,120,- 910; and secondarily toprovide means for positively locking the directory card select? ing means against movement during operation otthe card displaying means with resultant advantages which will be presently noted.

Another object oi the invention is to provlde a novel card elevating or displaying means, and operatively associated therewith a novel means for restoring the displaying means to normal position.

In, addition tothe foregoing, this invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding partsare designated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views in which they Figure 2 is aview thereof in vertical trans verse section.

Figure il is a view thereof in vertical lat eral section. 4 I

Flgure 4 1s a view inrear elevation 01: the locking device for the selecting means.

Figure 5 is a detail section taken on the,

line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure (Sis a detail view of the card dis:

playing and resetting means, and

Figure-7 is a detail view of the card detaching means. i

. With reference to the drawings, 10 indr I cates a cabinet having its upper end reduced and formed with a display opening 11 and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Serial No. 287,148.

inverted U-shaped channeled guides 19. Each guide is formed with an opening 20 at its upper portion. A card detaching and elevating means is provided in the .fOllIl of a shaft 21 located at the upper end of the cabinet carrying a pair of pulleys 22. around which tapes 23 are passed, the latter carrying at their lower ends detaching members 2-1 having overhanging fingers 25. Said fingers are formed with V-shaped notches 26 in which to receivethe ends of the rods 18, the latter carrying the directory cards 27. 24 may be connected by a rod 28. The members 24; it will be noted may enter the open ings 20 when in a lowered position.

The elevating means comprises a weight 29 having a rod 30 connected thereto which extends upward and is connected to a cable 31 wound about the shaft 21. A turn buckle 32 is interposed in. the rod 30 to vary the length thereof. The weight is normally held in an elevated position by means of a spring held pawl which enters a notch in the weight and carries a lateral pin 34.. A treadle is pivotally mounted in the lower endoi the cabinet and a pair of angularly disposed connected arms 36 and 37 oi different lengths are pivoted at their point of connection upon a support. The short arm 37 is connected by means of a link 38 to the treadle and the arm 36 is connected 'toan upwardly extending rod 39 suitably guided for longitudinal movement. The upper end. of the rod 39 is bent laterally and formed with a depending cam memberdO adapted to engage the pin 3 A door check 41 of conventional type is provided having its arm connected by means of the adjustable link dQto the arm 36.

The card selecting means comprisesa stub shaft 43 extending through the table and journalled in a bushin A pointer 4A is mounted thereon to move over a dial plate while the opposite end of the shaft carries a locking member 45 which resembles a bevel The members cables 47 to the pulleys 14 and 15 and the gear. A drum 46 is formed with the member in the lever to receive apin 51. A pointed projection 52 is also formed on the lever to enter the space between two teeth of the member 45 when the lever is lowered. A

link 53 connects the lever with the arm 37.

A smaller lever54 of the first class is mounted on the plate 48 with one end apertured and the other formed with an upward projection 55 designed to enter the space between two teeth of the member 45. A vertical threaded rod 56 is pivotally connected to the lever 49 and extends through the apertured end of the lever 54, a pair of nuts 57 being applied to the rod 56 in spaced relation.

In operation the pointer 44 is rotated to dispose the same in proximity to the class of names desired to consult. Rotation of thedrum 46 is transmitted through the tapes are shifted, thereby bringing the proper card 27 beneath the opening 20 of the guides 19 and the ends of the rod 18 thereof directly over the fingers 25 of the detaching members. The operator now steps upon the treadle whereupon the latter descends and pulls the rod 39 down also. The pin 34 is engaged and the pawl 33 dislodged permitting the weight 29 to fall and consequently rotate the shaft 21 and pulleys 22 drawing the tapes 23 upward. The ends of the rod 18 are engaged by the members 24 and the card 27 is lifted and displayed behind theopening 11. Simultaneously with this operation the lever 49 of the locking mechanism is lowered and the projection 52 entered between a pair of teeth of the member 45 thus securing the latter against rotation. Also, the uppermost nut 57 of the rod 56 engages the lever 54 causing the opposite end thereof to rise and extend the end 55 between the same teeth of the member 45 which enclose the projection 52. When the treadle is released the rod 39 ascends under the influence of the door check lowermost nut 57 engages the same.

gaged by either nut 57. Thus, it will be apparent that owing to the provision of the locking means the parts of the selecting mechanism are held against movement subsequent to their actuation and during and immediately after operation of the displaying mechanism to ensure proper operation of the latter and to prevent injury to the machine. It will also be apparent that if, owing to unskillful manipulation the selecting pointer is not adjusted exactly right, the projection 52 when engaging the member 45 shifts the same to the exact position required to locate the desired card in proper proximity to the detaching members. Other uses and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains.

tVhile we haveillustrated and described our invention with some degree of particularity, we realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. \Ve therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a directory cabinet, a plurality of cards, a rotatable selecting means, means for communicating motion from said rotatable means to the cards to select and bring any one of said cards opposite a predetermined point, a foot operative means for detaching and displaying the selected card, a locking means operable upon operation of said foot operative means to lock the selecting means against movement, said locking means being released when the foot operative means is released, and a second locking means operable to retain the selecting means locked until the first-locking foot operative means are fully released and returned to normal position.

2. In a directory cabinet, a plurality of. display cards, a selecting means including a shaft and pointer, means for communicating motion from the shaft to the cards, foot operative means for detaching and displaying the selected card, a toothed wheel on the shaft, a lever having a projection, means for connecting the lever with the foot operative means whereby to bring the projection between adjacent teeth of the wheel to lock the same against movement, said projection being withdrawn when the foot operative means is released, and means also entering adjacent teeth of the wheel to retain the same in lockedposition until the lever is fully returned to normal position, said locking means being operatively connected to the lever.

3. In a display cabinet, a plurality of display cards, a selecting mechanism including a shaft, toothed wheel and pointer, means for communicating motion from the shaft to the cards, toot operative means for detaching and displaying the selected card, a lever connected to the foot operative means, a projection on said lever adapted when the lever moved downward to enter adjacent of the toothed wheel to retain the shaft against rotation, a second lever having a projection to enter the teeth of the wheel, and means connecting the first lever with the second lover whereby to release the second lever after the first lever is fully re leased.

4:. In a directory cabinet, at selecting means including a shaft, a pointer carried by said shaft, :1 toothed wheel on said shaft,

a lever pivotally mounted, a projection on said lever, means for moving the lever downward to bring, the projection between adjacent teeth to retainthe shaft against movement, a second lever, a projection to enter adjacent teeth of the wheel acting as asecond locking means, a threaded rod pivotally connected to the first lever and entering a large aperture in the second lever, and a pair of abutment members carried by said rod in spaced relation whereby movement oi. the first lever may cause one of said abut inent members to engage the second lever to move the same into locking position, said first lever being movable through a predetermined distance in. a reverse direction when released before permitting the other abutment memberto engage the second lever to withdraw the same from the teeth.

5. In a directory cabii'iet, a plurality of display cards, means for selecting one of said cards, means for detaching the selected card, a weighted member, means for con necting said weighted member with the detaching means, means for retaining the weighted member in an elevated position, footoperat-ive means for withdrawing the releasing means to release the weight whereby to display the selected card, and means for returning said operative means to nordisplay cards, means for selecting one of said cards, a detaching means for the selected card, a weight, a flexible connection and pulley between the weight and detach ing means, a spring pawl, tor retaining, the weight in elevated position, a foot treadle, means connected with the foot treadle to disengage the pawl. to permit the weight to drop and thereby display the card, and, means for returning the treadle to normal position when. released and for elevating the weight to lower the detaching means.

7. In a directory cabinet, a plurality of cards, means :tor selecting a card, a detaching means for the selected card, a vertical movable weight having a notch therein and a projection, a flexible connection between the weight and detaching means, a spring held pawl engaging; the notch to retain the weight in elevated position, a foot treadle, a bar connected with said foot treadle having a lateral portion and a cam face to engage the pawl when the treadle is depressed to withdraw the pawl and permit the fall of? the weight. and a door check connected with the treadle and operable to elevate the treadle when released and engage the bar against the projection of the weight to elevate and return the detaching means to normal position.

8. In a directory cabinet, a plurality of cards, a selectingmeans for the cards, dis playing means, means for locking the selecting means, a foot pedal, a shaft, a pair of angularly disposed arms, one longer than the other, a link connecting said foot treadle with the shorter arm, means connecting said treadle with the locking means, and means connecting the longer arm with the displaying means. i

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN A. D. PUTER. ALOIS F. ELTSCHER. Witnesses Axnn Toma", Gno. O. DONELD. 

